Frawley hits NCAA qualifying mark

Grand Canyon turns in good showing at Cherry and Silver Invite

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Grand Canyon's men’s and women’s track teams completed day one of the Cherry and Silver Invitational held at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Friday afternoon. The men’s team is ranked No. 5, while the women are ranked No. 7 in the USTFCCCA Division II preseason rankings.

Among the teams competing in the meet were Division I opponents New Mexico, Utah State, UTEP, Brigham Young, Tulane, Washington State, California and Colorado State.

The ‘Lopes were led by Ann-Marie Duffus, who joined Shavine Hodges, Brianne Kee, Tyler Sipes, AAron Hill and Dominique Hubert as GCU athletes to reach NCAA automatic qualifying marks so far this season. Six others reached NCAA provisional marks in their respective events.

Duffus, who finished fifth in the long jump with a mark of 19 feet, 11 and a half inches, reached an NCAA automatic qualifier as her leap was the second-best for Division II in the nation.

Hodges posted a time of 24.15 in the 200-meters to finish third and reach an NCAA provisional mark with the fastest Division II time in the country. She bettered her own run from the NAU Lumberjack Invitational, where she ran a 24.62 in the event, which was also a provisional qualifier.

Mikio Bain finished fourth in the 200-meters with a time of 21.68, a mark that was the second-fastest for Division II in the country and good enough to reach a provisional qualifier.

Eric Frawley won the pole vault event with a mark of 16 feet, eight inches, which was a provisional qualifier and the third-best vault for Division II in the nation.

Vince Frawley's mark of 16 feet, 2 inches in the pole vault gave him a third-place finish and was the fifth-best for Division II in the country this season.

Hill was the top finisher for the 'Lopes in the long jump with a third place finish via a leap of 24 feet, 4 and a half inches. Hill won the event and reached an NCAA automatic qualifer in Flagstaff last weekend with a jump of 25 feet. Karlin Stewart finished fourth with 23 feet, 10 and three-fourths inches, which was a provisional qualifer and the fifth-best leap in Division II. Kevin Lashley took sixth place with 23 feet, 6 and one-fourths inches, which was also a provisional qualifier and the eighth-best jump in Division II this season.

Entering the meet, the ‘Lopes had already reached NCAA automatic qualifying marks in five events, as well as securing 20 provisional qualifiers, after doing so last weekend at the NAU Lumberjack Invitational in Flagstaff, Ariz.